Primary detonators, or primers, are widely employed in mining, quarrying, warfare and other application areas to initiate the explosion of a more powerful secondary explosive, such as an artillery shell or firework. Primers are typically placed adjacent to, or within, a secondary explosive such that explosive energy produced by detonation of the primer causes the secondary explosive to detonate.
More sophisticated explosive systems include primers that are detonated by the application of mechanical, electrical or magnetic energy. This energy is often conveyed to the primer by electrical conductors or a shock tube. Still other contemporary primers are detonated by thermal or electrical energy generated by a transducer attached to the primer. With such primers, a wireless signal is sent to the transducer, which then initiates the detonation of the primer.
A primer whose detonation is initiated by thermal, electrical or magnetic mechanisms however, is susceptible to unintended detonation. For example, inadvertent primer detonation due to stray electrical discharge—such as Personnel Electrostatic Discharge (PESD) or lightning strike—are well-known. In addition, primers configured to detonate in response to wireless signals are particularly susceptible to inadvertent detonation as a result of stray radio-frequency signals or those generated by hostile forces.
As a result, a primer that exhibits both reduced susceptibility to unintended detonation and reliable intended detonation would represent a significant advance in the art.